Tidal Flooding Hits West Lombok Coast, Residents Anxious

Tidal flooding struck the coastal areas of Taman Ayu Village, Gerung District, and Kuranji Dalang Village, Labuapi District, West Lombok, Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB), this morning. Residents say they are anxious as the tidal flooding has persisted for the past four days.

“One boat even broke this morning,” said Haeriah, a resident of Taman Ayu Village, on Tuesday. According to Haeriah, the tidal flood has been occurring since Saturday, with seawater surging up to 15 metres from the shoreline. She admitted to feeling worried staying at home, especially at night. “We are afraid to sleep at night,” she said.

Another resident, Suriyani, said the tidal flood also inundated several kitchens, preventing some residents from cooking. A number of residents have even chosen to temporarily evacuate to safer locations. “The water entered the kitchens, so some residents could not cook,” Suriyani stated.

Suriyani expressed hope that the government would provide assistance to affected residents, particularly staple food supplies. She also urged the government to prepare a long-term solution as tidal flooding frequently occurs in the coastal region. “This happens every year. We hope there is assistance from the government,” Suriyani concluded.

Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of the West Lombok Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), Ramdan Heriyanto, confirmed he had directly inspected the tidal flooding conditions in Taman Ayu Village and Kuranji Dalang Village. “The impact is only a few houses being inundated,” Ramdan said.

Ramdan stated that the BPBD has prepared several measures to address the impact of the tidal flooding, both in the short and long term. For short-term handling, the BPBD is still waiting for data on affected residents from each hamlet head. “For the short-term solution, we are still waiting for data on affected residents from the hamlet heads,” Ramdan said.